About Me

I am a videographer in Portland, Oregon with a love for all things horses. Originally from Minnesota, my childhood was spent on racetracks across the Midwest. I am currently training my dream horse with hopes of excelling at dressage and Parelli. I have a Cairn Terrier, Ellie, and an old cat named Winston. I am fortunate to have a pretty nice boyfriend who understands and supports my love of horses. My blog helps keep a record of my successes and failures and helps friends and family enjoy the journey with me.

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A solution...

I have been in a "horse funk" the last two months. I returned from vacation the beginning of December to find Maddy with a lifted shoe and a big bite on her butt. The farrier came out, put her shoe back on and the next day went for a little ride and came back with a lame horse. My first thought was abscess, so I soaked for a couple days, then seconded guessed myself and called the vet. After flex tests and thermography, narrowed it to sore inner legs. I thought maybe the lifted the shoe was a product of slipping and splaying. Micro-current, ice, and anti-inflammatories later, she seemed on the mend. After a few rides in the arena, we did a short ride a week ago. The next day, dead lame. This time the other back leg. I am stumped. I start to think the lameness is a symptom of sore back or hip. So have bodyworker scheduled to come out this morning. Planning for the worst, imagining x-rays and months off, and my whole tax refund up in smoke.

Well, I get to the barn this morning....a huge blowout. It was a hoof abscess! I am relieved. The bodyworker saw and felt nothing wrong with back or hips, no heat in the legs. What a stressful two months. I just want to relay my experience so others don't over think it, sometimes it is the easy answer. Posted below is the gross looking abscess. It is large, over two inches, smells terrible. Has anyone had abscess issues where the lameness goes from one leg to the other? Maybe one will blow out the other side? Any thoughts or suggestions from fellow horse friends would be helpful.

12 comments:

Glad it's an abscess - that's a doozie! It could be with the lameness on one leg due to the abscess that she strained the other leg a bit, or it could be another abscess. Glad the bodyworker found nothing - it'll all come right (probably when the weather does).

Ah abcesses. Dealt with one last summer or the summer before. Lame, then fine, lame in another leg, then fine, very frustrating! but hopefull now that it's blown, she'll be fine again soon. Keep soaking it for a while to make sure all the the gross pus comes out and doesn't reinfect itself...ugh the smell I can still remember!!Love the heart on her shoulder BTW!

Wow, that's disgusting! Glad it blew out, she'll feel a lot better now. Never really had one go from one leg to the other. I'd say maybe she was favoring the abscess leg and putting more stress on her other leg. You never know though, you could just be so lucky that she has two.Glad the body worker found nothing. We've found that for wounds and abscesses using Animalintex works the best for drawing stuff out and healing. Don't know if you've ever used it but it's miracle stuff. Good luck with Maddy.

It seems that all of us have had this happen at one time or another. The vet thought my Pony had foundered, got the lily pad for her foot, took her off grass...Went through the whole deal and it was a stinky abscess. She ended up just fine, as will Maddy. I not only soaked, I wrapped to keep it clean for several days. Getting it fully drained is the most important.

Oh my. That is an ugly one. But what a relief to find it. I've dealt with occult abscesses that lasted for over a month. Can't say the leg lameness changed, but sometimes they do get sore in another leg from limping on one.

Either way, there's a good chance Maddy is now on the mend and you'll be able to ride her again soon.

Just make am expensive apt next time...right off the bat!I was getting worried with her off her feed, but WOWEE, that is huge!Happy this is over and so sorry to have zilch to add..never dealt with abscesses. But agree with drawing it out for longer, to make sure. The Wonder wrap pultice does not need to be soak first

I'm with Kate and Arlene thinking that because the one was giving her a problem she put more onto the other causing an issue there. Only time will tell but that would be my guess. I hope you get to have a full season of riding afterall.

I think of all the things that have happened to Denali, an abscess is the one thing we haven't had. That looks like a nasty one!! I hope she heals quickly! It's nice to know it's not TOO horrible! Quick healing thoughts!

I went through something very similar with my mare recently, but she already had something going on in the opposite leg.

She ripped her shoe partially off and took a giant chunk of hoof with it and was 3 legged lame for quite a few days. Once the ginormous abscess blew, the ligament on the other leg was swollen and she was lame again. I was already working with a ligament issue, though, so it wasn't much of a mystery as to why the lameness shifted legs. If your abscess was as nasty as mine (and it looks like it is), it's very possible that the was a bit lame on the opposite leg just because of the strain she put on it because of the abscess.

Now I've been dealing with the abscess hole and crack growing out of her hoof... I've got some pictures on my blog, but it looks like you'll be experiencing the same things I did. How fun! LOL